Till I come back to you!
by IansDestiny
Summary: Complete Andrew returns to Frankie, but he's a different man. Revised and completed. If you've read the story before you may like some of the changes and look forward to the ending! Thank you for all of the reviews
1. Coming home!

It had been five hard, long years; Andrew's faith had been tested and destroyed, only to be reintroduced through an amazingly unexplained miracle. It had also been five years since the last time he'd seen her, true they had kept in touch through mail but it wasn't enough for him, he yearned to see her. He had kept her informed about his travels and his search for the gospel, which had led him back to Belo Quinto.

Father Alameda had left a series of letters in dozens of different languages that were clues to the exact location of the fifth gospel. Andrew had a rather easy time with all but one of the letters, the last one, which had been written entirely in Aramaic. After each translated letter he followed the directions to the next letter, he followed the letters for two long years. Finally with all the letters translated he arrived at the treasured destination, back at the very church where Father had been buried. Near the bleeding statue, a small panel in the floor had been removed and that is where Andrew had found the fifth gospel with the complete translation written in English in a journal kept by Father.

Now after those five years of searching, translating, and fighting for the gospel to be accepted by the Vatican, his efforts were rewarded and now his work for the church was finished. He only hoped that all this was not for nothing, he finally felt that Father Alameda could rest now and his time as a priest had come to an end. Now his thoughts only drifted back to Frankie.

In her letters he followed her life through troublesome men that didn't deserve he love and in the end broke her heart, and the pain of her mother passing away in a freak plane accident. All the things that he wished he could have been there to prevent or been there to help her through. In her last letter she expressed her grief about the fact that they could never be together as anything but friends, her feelings for him ran deeper than those for anyone she'd ever met. She never felt this way, but she understood that she needed to move on with her life.

He remembered the first time he had met her; he had gone to her place of employment to coax her into explaining about the attacks she'd experienced. She had insisted that he had to get a hair cut first before she would talk to him. He asked her if he could call her Frankie and her response to that was," and what I should call you, I have a hard time calling someone I'd date, Father." That's when his infatuation began, everything about this creature was exhilarating, her lust for life intoxicating, her movements graceful as a ballerina, and yet her passion unmatched by anything he'd ever seen. He'd stayed with her for two months while she was recuperating from her encounter with the stigmata; those had been the happiest months of his life, and making him regret the choices he'd made in his life.

He wanted to be there for her, to be the one she could give and receive love from. He wanted to protect her from the pain of life, and now finally he hoped his chance had come. He was returning to her, hoping to surprise her at her work. He'd already called ahead to warn Donna about him arriving and asked if Frankie worked on the day he got in. Somewhat reluctant in her answer, she assured him she would be working but was leaving earlier for personal reasons. His heart had leaped into his throat with the thought of seeing her again.

He landed at four o'clock, Tuesday afternoon, he was angry because it was an hour later than he had planned and was worried that he had missed surprising her at work. He finally arrived at the beauty shop at a little after five, due to a horrific accident five miles down the road from the airport. His fears had come true; he had missed her by more than a half hour. When he walked into the shop he greeted Donna with a loving welcome, as he hugged her he tried to do his catch up scene in a matter of minutes, "Hello Donna, how have you been?"

"Good, look at you," she says as she circles him, "all big and important now, what are you doing back here? I was very surprised to hear from you."

He continued their talk and was hoping to get some information on how Frankie had been, and more importantly if she stilled lived at the same place. "So how has Frankie been, is she doing alright?"

A little bewildered at the question, she took a step back and tried to ignore the question, "So how long are you going to be in town?" She asked as she turned back to the customer hair she had been working with.

"I'm hoping it will be a permanent move, Rome has been missing something," he hinted at as he stared blankly at what was Frankie's station. Now he was becoming anxious and extremely worried he would be not be able to get any information on where Frankie was.

"So where can I…"

Before he could even get the question out Donna knew just what the answer would be, "Yes, she's doing fine, Yes, she still lives at the same apartment, Yes, she's probably at home right now." With frustration in her voice she started to pace around the room, "But I don't think it's a good idea to go see her, she's finally moving on with her life, getting over the horrible past she's had. I think that her seeing you will make her have a relapse, and frankly Andrew she doesn't need that."

"But I…" He wasn't even able to get out a full sentence before she began again.

"I know you care about her, but as long as you both live the lives you do, all you can do is hurt her," She turned and faced him, staring at him with pleading eyes. "Just let her go, let her move on. If you really care about her, you'll let her move on."

Frightened and frustrated he began to head for the door, not quiet sure what he was going to do, or even where he was going to go. His mind was racing and as he opened the door to exit, at that moment he stopped and took a deep breathes to compose his thoughts. Donna wanted to make sure he knew she was serious and reiterated what she had said before, "As long as you live the lives you do, all you can do is hurt her."

(The song "Love by Grace" by Lara Fabian begins to play through his walk)

"I know," he replied to her and with that he exited the shop and turned left to head towards his hotel room, although it was also the direction of her apartment. He knew this path all too well, he knew it took exactly 12 min. to get from her work to her house by walking, he hoped it would be long enough for him to figure out exactly what to do. His whole mind blanked as he began to think of her, and about what Donna had said. '_No, she didn't know what she was talking about'_, he said aloud in his mind, '_I didn't have enough time to explain about my situation._ _Beside,_ _I'm not the same man she once knew; I can be the man Frankie needs'._ He told himself as he stopped in front on her building, unsure of what exactly to do. He didn't know what to say or how to approach this situation, he figured Donna had called ahead to warn her of his arrival. So he figured he'd do the only thing that was reasonable and ring her, '_what could it harm'_, he thought,' _his whole surprise had been ruined'._ He figured the best thing to do was try to salvage some of this trip.

He approached the door and rang the button the said Paige; he didn't have to wait long. "Come on up," she stated and then the door buzzed, he was alarmed by not only how fast the reply came but also her warm reception. '_Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea',_ he thought as he entered the door and headed up the stairs. Now was his moment of panic, '_what if Donna was right? What if all I do is hurt her? What if all of this is just a big mistake?' _It was too late to worry about that now; he had reached her door that was ajar. He knocked on the door, as gentlemen do, only to hear her response from inside.

"Hey, come on in, I'll be done in a few minutes," she yelled as she passed by the door heading towards the room which he knew was her bedroom. Although shocked he entered her room and stood quietly next to the door.


	2. Hello Frankie!

            He just stood there; barely past the door.  He didn't know what to do or even how to react; all he could do was watch her run from bedroom to bathroom in a hurried attempt at completing her attire.  She hadn't even stopped to welcome him but that didn't bother him, he was content with being able to see her again.

            "Sorry!  I'm just trying to finish my hair," she exclaimed from the bathroom as she passed by the door.  Herself being a hairdresser; her hair had to be perfect with no string of hair out of place. 

            Although he had only got a glance of her, he took in all that he saw.  She was adorning a beautiful, silver, iridescent top with a cow neck that hung down extremely low and it formed to her body perfectly, it was connected in the back by a single silver string.  To accentuate her top she was also wearing an ankle length, pitch black skirt that was slit from top to bottom, and looked to only be held together by a single silver loop.  (Undoubtedly the other side was a carbon copy of the other.)  Although she said she hadn't finished with her hair, he could tell she planned an up do with a small amount of hairs hanging down around her face.  To finish off her ensemble her delicate feet, where once stigmata punctures had been, now were wearing silver stilettos. The shoes themselves added that touch of classic elegance, even though she hadn't needed it.  When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she was struggling with the clasp to her diamond, teardrop necklace.  

            "Ok," she said as she finished with the clasp and flattened out a wrinkle in her skirt, "How do I…." She said then suddenly stopped as she looked up and recognized just who was in her apartment. 

            All either one could do was to stare at the wonder they were beholding, he was unable to decipher what she was thinking.  Her angelic face gave him no help as it remained expressionless.  After what seemed like an eternity Andrew was the first to muster up enough courage to speak, sheepishly taking a step forward, "Hello Frankie."  His kind voice must have finally sunk in to her, he mouth formed a beautiful smile and she ran at him practically tackling him in the process.  When she hugged him they both fell to the floor, their laughter filled the room, and suddenly Frankie stopped laughing and got up.

            "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to do that," she stood up and fixed her skirt, "I was so excited and I got ahead of myself."  She extended her hand to him to help him up, "I just haven't seen you in such a long time, what are you doing here?  I thought you had important church things to do?"

            "I finished those things, and I came back to see you. How have you been?" he questioned as they hugged again. 

Just then a young man opened the door, "Frankie, Hon, come on we're going to be late," he stopped when he saw the two hugging.  "Umm, what's going on here?"                       


	3. Oh, What Changes Will Happen!

            "Uh, Frankie; what the hell is going on here, who is this guy?" the man questioned a second time as she pulled away from Andrew. 

            "Oh God, Honey I'm sorry," she sauntered over and grabbed him by the arm guiding him toward Andrew. " Andrew, this is Keech Vranch; he's my fiancée."

            Reeling from the shock of the word fiancée, all Andrew could do was stare in amazement at _his_ Frankie, betrothed to another.  It was as though his mind had temporarily shut down and his vision was completely narrowed down so that all he could see was the couple that stood in front of him.  Finally it was Frankie's voice that brought him back to the present, "And Keech, this is Father Andrew Kiernan," she gingerly turned her head to get a better look at Andrew, "he is the priest that helped me with my sickness a few years back."

            Now beginning to understand, Keech extended his hand to Andrew in a gesture of acceptance, "Ahh, Father Kiernan I've heard so much about you, definitely a pleasure to meet the man who saved Frankie's life." 

            "Nice to make your acquaintance too, Keech," Frankie was sure susceptible to the outside appearances. Keech looked to be about six ft six in. or more, well built, he also had a very dark complexion he looked as if he were of Italian descent.  He couldn't have been older than 25 and Andrew was no comparison to this marvel man in front of him, the man that was holding the arm of the woman he loved making his possession of Frankie quite clear. 

            "Oh, I forgot my purse and coat, I'll just be a minute," she turned to head towards her bedroom, "Hey Andrew, here."  She handed him an envelope and a pencil, "Write down your number and address so I can get a hold of you."  At that moment she returned to the task she had before set out to accomplish, followed closely by Keech.  Once they were out of sight, he heard Keech begin his harassment.

            "What the hell? Are you that big of a whore; that you're trying to get some ass from a priest, first that guy at the bar the other night and now this" Keech whispered in a harsh voice as he grabbed her arm.

            "He's my friend and I haven't seen him in five years, I can't hug him?" she started to tear up from the pain of his grip and all the emotions running through her mind.  

            "Please! Don't feed me that bullshit, he could barely take his eyes of you," pulling her towards her mirror.  "This outfit certainly doesn't help, look at you; I've seen hookers with more clothing on."

            Andrew was becoming furious, _how dare he talk to her like that; what could she see in this pathetic excuse of a man_. All he could do was pace back and forth, "Is everything alright in there?"

            "Yeah, everything is fine," she headed towards her closet, "I'll change just give me a minute."

            "No, we don't have enough time," he picked up her coat and purse, "You'll just have to look like the slut you are: now lets go." As Frankie whipped the single tear that had fell on her cheek the happy couple put on a smile and re-entered the living room. Keech placed Frankie's coat over her shoulders, "Ready Hon, we're going to be late."

            "Yeah, lets go. Did you write your address down," she questioned Andrew those pleading eyes of hers locked on his.

            "Yes, here you are." He adjusted the lapel on her coat to lay straight and pulled her close to hug her.  "I'm here whenever you need me," he quietly whispered in her ear, she then followed Keech out the door. Andrew followed closely behind the couple.

**********(Over the next few parts I'll be using a lot of songs from different artists. The songs will be appropriately titled, the songs help explain not only the mood but also his thoughts and feelings. I hope I make it easy for you to follow.)**********************************************

(Song begins playing softly in the background I want to be the one by Lonestar)

            All he could do was watch the couple exit the building, there went his heart and soul exiting on the arm of another man. A man who didn't deserve her love, who just in the short time he was here had made Andrew hate him with anger he'd only felt once before in his life.  He just left the building letting his mind wonder wherever it wanted to, _What was I thinking, that after all this time she'd just be sitting around by herself. _He turned to catch one last glimpse of her; his heart broke for her.  She was always so trusting of men, all they had to do was whisper some sweet words, be kind to her and she would fall for them like they were the only men in the world.  His mind was facing a purgatory like he had never felt before, hoping to pick up something to help his pain he stopped at the local convenience store to pick up a case of beer.

            As he entered his hotel he placed the case into the fridge, all he could think about was his need to relax and try to forget everything that had happened today he figured that a nice hot shower would calm him. Yet before he headed into the shower he called and ordered room service, _Time to start relaxing_, he thought as he headed into the bathroom. 

Andrew had barely gotten undressed before he heard the phone ring in the other room, "Shit," he yelled as he grabbed a towel and raced to the phone. He quickly picked up the phone and answered as he wrapped the towel around him, "Hello?" his heart leaped at the idea of hearing her voice again.

"Father Kiernan, Hey this is Keech; Frankie's fiancée."

"Yes, is everything alright?" Andrew was frightened that something had happened to Frankie.


	4. Shh! I'm here.

"Oh yeah, everything is fine; Frankie had to leave the table for a little, and so I have a favor to ask you."

_He has a favor to ask me, the irony in that is amazing; _his mind was racing, "What kind of favor do you need?"

"I want to surprise Frankie, the whole night we've been talking about our wedding and I'd like to surprise her: tomorrow night at her place around 8:00, I want you to marry us."

Without even letting the thought process in his head he replied, "Why me?"

"Well umm, because Frankie has been talking about you all night, and I figured she'd want you there and this would kill two birds with one stone," his voice was so cheerful and snide.

(Come What May by Ewan McGregor from Moulin Rouge plays softly)

Just at that moment the steady patter of rain caught his attention, it was raining on the day he left her five years ago.  Andrew just stood there watching the rain slowly fall on the sliding glass door to the balcony. 

"Andrew; so what do you say?"

"No," he quickly replied, "No I'm sorry I can't do it."

Agitated Keech questioned him, "Why not!?! You're going to be invited anyways and this will help us cut cost on the wedding."

"I'm sorry Keech, I can not do it."

"That isn't a reason, why won't you do this for us," Keech was furious, he was practically screaming into the phone.

"Because I'm not a priest, alright!" Andrew had lost his temper and surrendered his secret to the last person he wanted to know.

"What the hell, what is going on here," with that last remark he hung up the phone.  Andrew just stood there for a moment pondering what had just happened, the phone next to his ear was pulsating with the dial tone. Slowly he hung up the phone, _what a nightmare this whole thing is turning out to be. _He returned to the bathroom and began his shower; he just stood there for a long while letting the hot water pound on his head and letting it roll down his body. _I need to stop living a lie, she may be in a bad relationship but she loves him, I can't change that. _ He just thought about her the whole time, about everything they did together; the first night after she was cured when they just laid together in her bed, they laid there for what seemed like hours just holding each other like it was the last time they would be together. The times when they went out to dinners and movies just things to help her get back to her normal life, she said it helped having him around, she felt safer with him there. Suddenly he heard a loud knocking on the front door, "Oh shit the pizza!" he quickly again ran out of the shower grabbing his towel and wrapping it around him, "I'll be there in a second."

He grabbed his wallet from the desk and ran to the door, "Ok, I'm coming," he slowly opened the door, " Sorry I just got out of the show…" his eyes could not believe what they were seeing. There in front of him stood a completely drenched and shivering Frankie, her beautiful outfit and hair soaked, even with the rain he could see her red puffy eyes were crying.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she said in a quiet whisper, Andrew was barely able to hear her. She couldn't even make eye contact with him she just kept looking at the floor; she could hardly keep herself from breaking down right in front of him.

"Frankie, what's wrong?" he was trying to make eye contact with her and he wondered what had happened in that short time since he talked to Keech and the moment he opened up the door.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!" she was practically hysterical, she had screamed at the top of her lungs and started crying even harder. Just as the pizza guy walked up, " Uh, pizza for a mister Andrew Kiernan?" the boy didn't know what to do so he just stood there.

Andrew reached to grab Frankie by the arm, "Come here," but she pulled away from him and entered his room.

"Don't touch me," she slowly stumbled into the room kicking off her shoes.

"Umm sir, that'll be ten bucks plus tip," gingerly the boy stood in the hallway trying to figure out what was going on.

"Here," Andrew grabbed a twenty out of his wallet and gave it to the boy then grabbing the pizza and slamming the door on him. "Thanks," the boy yelled as he left down the corridor.

Frankie just stood there not making any movement and the only sound she made was a soft whimper as she struggled to compose herself.  Andrew placed the pizza on the table then went and grabbed a towel from the bathroom for her, "Here dry yourself off while I get dressed," he whispered to her soothingly, she still didn't make eye contact with him; she just took the towel off of him and wrapped it around her. Andrew made his way into the bathroom and put on a white t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He quickly reemerged with another towel for her, "Frankie," he tried again to soothe her but again her received the same reaction as before but he didn't stop; he continued forward, " God Frankie, what happened?" he questioned as he gently touched her face. With the gentle touch of his hand on her face she broke, sobbing uncontrollably, leaning forward into his strong warm embrace. Both of them sunk to the floor still holding on for dear life, "It's ok, shh I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

Just to let everyone know, I am in college now and I'm not sure how often I will be able to write the updates but fear not I will update them as much as possible. Please your reviews and mail are welcomed and appreciated. Email me at hacktm@muc.edu.

Thanks 

Tiff


	5. I Love You!

            Andrew held Frankie while she sobbed uncontrollably for twenty minutes, he loved the feeling of her in his arms again but the reason was not what he had planned. He had hoped she would accept him when he returned with open arms and her loving embrace, not the news of her pending marriage. He just held her, not saying any words just gently brushing her hair behind her ears trying to calm her down. Finally she somewhat composed herself and slightly pulled away, "Why didn't you tell me?" again she repeated her question.

            Andrew rose to hid feet lending a hand to her to help her up, "I didn't find it appropriate at the time," he pulled the towel around her shoulders tighter and began to rub her arms to warm her up.  

            "But.." Frankie tried to make an argument against him but she was stopped before she could start.  Andrew headed towards his closet and grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants.

            "Listen, here," he handed her the clothing, "Why don't you go take a shower and relax and warm up, you can put these on. After you're done we will talk about everything."

            Obviously too tired to fight she agreed, "Alright."

            As Frankie entered the bathroom Andrew got two plates out and set them on the table next to the balcony doors along with the pizza, he returned and retrieved two beers out of the fridge and set them on the counter. _This is gonna be one long night,_ was all that was going through his mind. He grabbed one of the beers, opened it, and headed over to the balcony doors staring out at the rain slowly coming to a halt. _Why did it always rain in this damn city!_

            Slowly Frankie emerged from the bathroom dressed in the oversized sweat outfit with her hair wrapped in a towel, all of the make-up she once had on was completely washed off.  She was so beautiful; yes true, she was in the plainest form he'd only seen when she was recovering, but that was when she was most beautiful. "Want something to drink?" he questioned motioning towards the beer on the counter.

            "Yeah, thanks," she accepted the beer he handed her then walked away from him trying to keep her distance. She began surveying the room, taking in her surroundings, that's when Andrew noticed the discoloration on her face.

            Quickly he moved towards her placing his hand on her face, "What the hell happened to you? Did he do this to you?" 

            Shrugging him off and turning her cheek she sulked away from him, "I thought I was asking the questions here.  Why didn't you tell me, why didn't you tell me you weren't a priest anymore. Why did you decide to keep it a secret from me." She again turned towards him to see the look on his face for his answer.

            Andrew was getting angry now, _do I really have to explain to her why I didn't tell her,_ "I didn't find it an appropriate time."

            "Why wasn't it an appropriate time, how hard would it have been to say 'Hey by the way I'm not a priest anymore?" she was mocking him now and it really irritated him.

            _It's not that simple, "_It's not that simple," he took a drink and headed towards the balcony rail since the rain had finally subsided, "you don't understand."

            "What is there to understand, you came back for a visit decided to visit me let me know about the 'no priest' thing and leave? That's all you came for right?" She went towards him but he didn't acknowledge her assumption, figuring her previous statement to be wrong, "If that's not why you came back, then why?" she pleaded with him. Now she was curious, there was something he wasn't telling her, "Why did you come back?"

            He couldn't resist her anymore; he wanted her to know he truth. Very quietly he whispered while looking off in the distance, "I came back for you." He took another drink of his beer then put his head down knowing that she hadn't heard him, hoping she'd let it go. 

            She had barely heard him but knew he had answered her, "What did you say," she gently placed her hand on his shoulder trying to coax him into repeating his statement but louder this time.

            Andrew's emotions were getting the best of him and he had no control over himself, using a voice that was just below a shout he told her his reasoning again, "I came back for you." After the recognition of the statement he had just made he pushed past her and headed back into the room, hoping that this awkwardness would subside.  Yet, she wasn't about to let him off that easy, she followed after him and grabbed him by the arm spinning him around to face her.

            "What do you mean came, 'back for me'," she was still a bit lost but was relentless in her advances.

            "God Frankie, do I have to spell it out for you," he knew there was no turning back now everything was coming out in the open and he couldn't stop it.  "I love you, Frankie, I've loved you since the moment I met you, and with every letter I fell even more in love with you." He turned away from her afraid of her reaction to his confession.

            Frankie didn't know what to say, she had always dreamed of this for the past five years she wanted to be with him but now for some reason she was confused and scared.  All of a sudden without a word she started to back up towards the door.

            "Frankie," _Oh God, I've scared her away, _"Frankie, what are you doing?"  
            Frankie turned and bolted for the door, she didn't know where she was gonna go or what she was gonna do. She had to get out of there, it was too much for her, and she sprinted down the hallway and out the door.

            "Frankie, wait come back," Andrew yelled as he raced towards the door, but all that was left in the hallway was the echo of the slamming door.


	6. You complete me!

("The Tin Man" by Kenny Chesney)

He just stood there in the hallway motionless, his body and mind were now completely numb; it took all the strength he had not to just collapse where he stood.  Somehow, unknown to him, he managed to make his way back into his apartment; he just stood there and began to let his emotions rush over him, his every function was shutting down as his heart broke. He suddenly felt very sick, emotionally as well as physically, he quickly realized where he was; he inadvertently made his was out onto the balcony and was clutching at the rail for dear life.  It was still raining but it was just a slight drizzle, he stood there grasping tightly to the rail, Frankie's rejection had shaken him to the core at first he was feeling confident that his feelings would be reciprocated as he held her while she cried.  That's what made him confess to her everything he felt, he was sure of her feelings '_Hell she even told me she loved me, I don't understand why she ran'_ he thought nothing of finally releasing what he'd held inside for so long.  He could never act on his feeling before because of his duty to the church, he was forced to love her from afar and now in his moment of clarity and honesty he had his heart torn from him. He couldn't contain himself anymore he let out a gut wrenching bellow, and began to sob uncontrollably; he sank to his knees and let his heart just relieve itself, as the rain slowly bounced off his already soaked brow.  After he was able to somewhat compose himself he half-heartedly lifted himself up and went inside, slowly he picked up the towel he had used to dry her off and held it to his face inhaling her sweet smell, he sulked to his bed and sat down then slowly let himself fall backwards as to lay on the bed, '_God I miss her, just when I had her close enough she's ripped from my grasp.'_

Suddenly he was startled by a knocking on his door, his moves were a quick and sleek, graceful motion, he was at the door and beginning to open it before the person had a chance to finish its second knock.  The sight before him was that of an angel, "Frankie?"

"I love you," she said as she threw herself into his open and welcoming arms, "I love you, I love you so much, I'm sorry I ran I was just so scared," she was crying and shaking terribly.  "Everything you said was what I've been waiting to hear for five long years… and yet when you said them I… was confused and scared. I can't explain why but it was all too sudden and…"

She hadn't been able to finish her sentence before he gently placed his lips on hers, '_God, this feels so good,' _was all the thoughts he was able to process. After what felt like an eternity they pulled apart coming up for air, passionately they stared into each others eyes, "I love you Frankie, I need you…  you complete me;" he slowly took a breath, "you fill the emptiness inside- something I thought could never be filled till I met you.  Then I saw what it was that I needed, you are my everything Frankie, I… Love You."

Tears began to swell in her eyes as she pulled him into another sensual kiss, "I love you too," she whispered. 

Effortlessly Andrew bent and swept Frankie into his arms and carried her towards his bed, carefully setting her down and laying his body next to hers.  Slowly they began to undress each other, each fighting back the need to completely ravage the other, so much time had been wasted that it made them hurry to make sure of their love before something pulled them apart again.       

All of a sudden a bright light pieced through the darkness of the room startling Andrew, he quickly sat up and began to take in his surroundings; he was laying sprawled out across his bed with his damp clothing sticking to his body and clenched tightly in his hand was the towel of Frankie's.  The light he had seen was the immense amount of sun coming in through the balcony window, he looked around there was no clothing thrown across the floor and worst of all there was no Frankie.  His heart sank lower than he had ever imagined, '_A dream, it was all a damn dream,'_ was the only thought that crossed his mind a he slipped back into his unconscious state, hoping to escape the pain if only for a few hours.

Ok I know "Hey that sucks" but I needed something to make the story interesting. Again like I said before, with the college thing I don't get to update as much as I would like to but I do my best. Just please be patient and R & R, your feedback is always greatly appreciated.


	7. 5:00

It had been 3 long, horribly, lonely days since Frankie had rushed out of his apartment and he hadn't heard even a word from her in those days since. He stayed hidden away in his apartment the whole time, usually sleeping or drinking himself to oblivion. He knew that this was no good and that there was no reason for him to be in the dreadful city any longer, Rome may be missing the love of his life but at least when he was there his emotions weren't put through a terrible roller coaster; when he was there he knew where he stood and that was somewhat comforting. He decided to call and make reservations for a flight back to Rome leaving that night, it was a more expensive but he would be away from this whole damaging situation.

He decided that it would be a good idea to pack first then set out to say goodbye to Frankie, he wasn't going to tell her he was leaving he would just make his peace and then leave without any disturbances. He just wasn't very sure as to how he would make it through the day without breaking down again.

Frankie had been rushing around for the past couple days, first she officially broke off her relationship with Keech: even though after he hit her it was quite clear that it was over then. Unfortunately Donna's mother had become very sick, needing medical attention, so that's where Frankie had been the past two days and would more than likely be for a little while longer. Donna needed her as much as Donna's mother needed her but first Frankie needed to make a stop at home to pick up more clothes for her stay at the hospital. Hopefully while she was at home she could call Andrew, she needed to talk to him; she needed to explain her actions the other day but every time she attempted to contact him something came up. But now she was heading home and nothing would stop her from calling him, he deserved to know what happened and how she felt.

Andrew had been paging her place for the past ten minutes and still no answer, he knew that she wasn't home but he was hoping she was maybe asleep and hadn't heard the buzzer. Finally he gave up and retrieved the letter out of his coat pocket and placed it in her mailbox, he had planned on her not being there and wrote her a letter telling her how he felt and that he was leaving and what time and where he was. It was his last hope that maybe she would read this and come after him, but he knew that it would never happen. At the end of his letter he told her he loved her and that he always would, then he left his phone number and address so she could reach him whenever she needed to. He buzzed her place one last time the retreated back to his apartment where he would spend the rest on the day till the cab came to pick him up at 5:00pm; he wanted to be at the airport early hoping it would cause the time to move more quickly and he could leave at 8:00pm.

Again Frankie had gotten tied up talking to the doctor about Donna's mother's condition, thankfully it was not serious and after a few more days of recuperation she would be well on her way to a perfect recovery. She looked at her watch and saw that it was about half till five and she wanted to hurry hopefully she could catch Andrew in time to take him to dinner and then begin her explaining and then her serious groveling. She approached her apartment and noticed the mail that had piled up in her box and it made her chuckle; she grabbed all the mail and then ascended the stairs to her apartment. Once she had got the door to her apartment open, she kicked off her shoes and began sifting through the junk mail, stopping abruptly at the sight of a small envelope with her name neatly inscribed in perfect calligraphy. Her fingers couldn't open the envelope fast enough, and quickly she read over the letter in her hands while tears began to fill her eyes. Her eyes shot to the clock on the wall, it was five till five, she didn't have much time, thankfully he had got a hotel close to where she lived she could be there in no time. She sprinted out the door and down the stairs, the only thought her mind could process was that she couldn't lose him, she wouldn't lose him.

He took one last look at his place, remember vividly the brief encounter he had with her then his dream, it was too much he had to go. He sulked down the steps then handed his key to the registrar and headed towards the door.

Frankie couldn't think about anything but getting to Andrew, if he left her again she didn't know what she would do. She practically sprinted down her stairs, if she could reach him she just knew she could make him understand with that final thought she made her way down to the street and out the door.

Andrew pushed away from the desk and picked up his luggage. His cab was pulling up and his movements seemed to hesitate, he knew it would be best to get out of this town but his heart was saying a very different story. Hanging his head he made his way out the door to the waiting cab, "Pittsburgh airport please." Andrew closed the door to his cab, 'why did this seem so hard.' He looked up quickly and out the window, it was time to put the pain behind him.

Frankie was turning the corner on her travel to Andrew's hotel and saw him climbing into the cab. "Andrew!" She called out chasing after him; it was too late though the cab started to pull away. "Andrew... Wait!"

The cab driver turned a bit as he pulled away, "So business trip? You don't look too happy."

"No, I'm heading home the only thing I came here for ended up not needing me." He responded somberly.

The driver just shook his head, "A woman huh? That's how it always is."

Andrew chuckled a bit, "It's funny, my mind is playing tricks on me. I wanted her to be here so badly to stop me from leaving I swear I could hear her voice."

Frankie had chased after him calling his name but the cab never even slowed, "Andrew..." She called one last time as she stopped to catch her breath.


	8. Leaving on a jet plane

She called one last time as she stopped to catch her breath. She reached in her pocket to pull out his note she scanned it quickly he had told her when and where he was leaving, "Thank you Andrew." Her hand went right up in the air, "Taxi!"

Andrew's taxi had dropped him off outside of departing drop off; he paid his fare and made his way inside. "Good evening," he greeted the young woman at the ticket counter.

"Good evening sir, how may I help you?" the young woman smiled and began processing Andrew's information.

"Just want to go home," he responded somberly.

She gave him a bright smile, "Well I've got some good news for you then, your flight has been rescheduled and you have a choice. One leaves at 6:30 now do to some weather problems outside of Rome and one leaves tomorrow morning."

As much as Andrew wanted to wait at the thought of Frankie coming to stop him, telling him she loved him and not to leave. "I'll take the early flight thank you."

The attendant printed out his ticket and handed it to him. "Have a nice trip and thank you for flying with us."

Frankie cursed the entire way to the airport; there had been a large accident on the exit. It was pushing quarter after 6 when the taxi finally made it to the airport.

She rushed inside and looked up at the departue board, the only Rome flight was already boarding and departing in fifteen minutes. She moved to the ticket desk, "I'm sorry what happened to the 8pm flight to Rome."

The woman smiled, "That flight was adjusted, now we are offering either a 6:30 flight or there is also one tomorrow morning."

"Can you do me a favor?" She asked nicely wondering if she could find out when Andrew was leaving. "I am supposed to be traveling with a friend; we were supposed to leave on the 8pm flight. Andrew Kiernan?"

The lady typed in some information and shook her head, "I'm sorry ma'am but he's scheduled on the flight at 6:30."

The color drained from her face, "What gate?"

"Gate E, but it's at the other end of the terminal you won't mak..." Before she could finish her sentence Frankie had taken off running. The plane was already loading and he was probably already on it but she would do everything possible to get to him if she had to fly to Rome the next morning.

Andrew's movements were slow and hesitant, fumbling his ticket in his hand as he stood in the boarding line. He kept looking back over his shoulder wondering if she had even received his note, a sad look shown in his eyes as a voice caught his attention.

"Excuse me, sir? This is last call…will you be boarding?" The gentleman taking the tickets asked Andrew since was the last one in the boarding line. "Sir?"

Andrew nodded his head and made his way towards the entrance.

Frankie had sprinted the entire way across the terminal but she feared she was too late. Not only did she have to fight the entire way through the crowd but once she arrived at Gate E it was practically empty. Out of breathe and upset she approached one the female attendants, "Rome…6:30pm fli…flight?"

The female attendant shook her head, "I'm sorry ma'am.." she turned around and pointed out the window at a plane just taking off. "You've missed it by just a few minutes, can I help you with anything."

Tears started to run fresh down cheeks as she watched Andrew fly out of her life again; she turned back to the attendant. "No, I just…I didn't get to say good-bye."


	9. Fin

Frankie stepped closer to the large viewing window and watched Andrew's plane ascending into the air, the one thing she needed most in the world was flying away into the setting sun and out of her life. She'd been so stupid her entire life, it seemed she could never do anything right. Andrew had always been the forbidden fruit in her life; she had dreamed so often of him and being close to him that it hurt her heart to know that he was the one thing in her life she needed and could never fully have. It all seemed to be too much for her, her emotions overwhelmed her and her heart broke as the tears started to flow freely. Her legs seemed to become weak and unable to sustain her weight as she sank into the chair next to her, she put her head into her hands and started to cry freely attempting to release the pain constricting around her heart.

Andrew just sat there dumbfounded his heart ached and yearned for Frankie but he just couldn't make it understand what was occurring. He gently rubbed his temples as he sat back in his chair hoping to ease the throbbing sound in his head. It was something he was just going to have to accept, Frankie was the love he would have to keep only in his heart and love from afar. It was a dramatic irony for him, he'd helped save her life and in return she had saved him teaching him to love again but in the same instance that he held her he lost her. In his heart he knew he could have been the man she deserved, the man that would love her until his last breath and even after he'd left this earth he'd wait for her at the gates of Heaven because he couldn't bear to be without her. But he would pick up the pieces of his broken heart and return home; he'd never stop loving her through she was like air or water he needed her to survive. The soft sound of a woman crying brought him out of his thoughts; he sat up in his seat to attempt to locate the cause of the sound.

Frankie could barely control herself; it hurt too much to stop crying and the thought of returning to her apartment without Andrew to the empty lonely apartment made her cry harder. A soft hand touched her shoulder and she looked up.

"Ma'am are you alright?" A female attendant asked softly handing Frankie a tissue.

Frankie smiled at the gesture and took the tissue, nodding sadly, "I'll be fine, I just need to go home." With that said Frankie stood from the chair on unsure legs and gave a squeeze to the ladies arm along with a sad smile. Taking a few deep breathes she made slow steps away from the chair and took her first steps towards picking up the broken pieces of her heart.

Andrew had taken a few glances around at his surroundings but wasn't able to locate the source of the crying. He closed his eyes again letting all the memories he had of Frankie rush back to him, it was all he'd have and he cursed his tortured mind for the horrible dream he'd had only a few nights before that made his heart and body yearn for her more. The feeling of someone bumping his arm brought him out of his trance once more; he opened his eyes, "Oh I do apologize."

Frankie hadn't been as composed as she thought was stumbling a bit in her steps and accidentally bumped into a gentleman's armrest, "No it's my…" but the rest of the words would not come.

Andrew mustered up a polite smile and looked up at the person who had bumped into his arm and his heart stopped, there before him was his angel. "Frankie?" Was the only sound he could muster it sounded more like a sweet prayer to his ears. In the same instance he was out of his chair and clutching her as they both sank to the floor on their knees holding tightly to one another.

Through the renewed tears she choked out, "I …I thought you left..left me again." She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shirt. It all seemed so surreal to her and she could barely believe what was happening.

Andrew just held her tightly, he hadn't found words yet and it was better to just hold her in his arms just so he knew she was real and this wasn't another trick his mind was playing on him to torture his soul just a little more.

Frankie pulled back a bit and looked up at him, "But your plane…" she sniffled a bit, "I just watched it fly off."

Andrew didn't wait one more second he leaned in and kissed her strong and passionately; it was something he'd needed to do for a long time. After what seemed like an eternity the two pull back breathless, gently he brushed away the stray hairs from her face. "I couldn't get on the plane…I would rather be here and miserable but close to you than to be miserable and half way across the globe." He just continued to hold her and smiled; he placed a gentle finger under her chin and lifted her face to look into his eyes.

Frankie smiled at him, and didn't waste anymore time. She'd learned the hard way, what waiting to tell someone how you feel can do, "I love you Andrew…I've loved you for so long. I would have followed you around the world to be with you, because that's what people do when they found the one they can't live without. They leap, and hope to God they can fly, because otherwise you just drop like a rock, wondering the whole way down, why in the hell did I jump? But here I am, Andrew, falling, and the only one that makes me feel like I can fly... is you."

Andrew felt tears stinging his eyes; he smiled at her and tightened his embrace on her. "I love you too Frankie. _Ho occhi solo per te, mio angelo... sei bellissima_.._ Vorrei trascorrere tutta la mia vita con te." _He kissed her sweetly and chuckled at her look, "Translation… I only have eyes for you, my angel...you are so beautiful. I want to spend all my life with you."

_Fin_

Finally completed leave love or hate.

Always Lady


End file.
